Coin chute



Jan. 8, 1946. w. A. TRATSCH L COIN GHUTE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1945 INVENTOR. v

IVd/ff/ /7 fidfic/r BY Z Jan. s, 1946. w. A. TRATSCvl -l 7 2,392,344

COIN CHUTE Filed Feb. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

W) BY 0 fer/7 Wwfxi I Jan. 8, 1946. w. A. TRATSCH 2,392,344

COIN OHUTE Filed Feb. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 1 Y INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 OFFICE GOIN CHUTE Walter .-A. '1ratsch, Chicago, Ill., assig'nor to Clarence E. .Threedy, Chicago, 111., as trustee Application February 19, 1945,:'Serial-No.578;583

(aim- 7s) '4 Claims.

This invention relates to" coin "chutes and has for its' principal object the provision of "an improved-construction'of this'character, which win highly eflicient in use "and economical'in manuiacture.

The present invention relates to-a coin chute of the'type having a mechanism-operating member,-h'ereinafter referred toas operating member, adapted to be coupled with a slide by means 'ofa coin, whereby, upon movement" of' the slide, the operatingmember"willbeunoveddn an extended position with respect to a guide arm supporting 'thesame to operate mechanism of the device with-whichthe coin-chute is "associated. It'is'one of the principal objects of theinvention to :provide such a coin chute with as few parts as possible for positive and effective operation, one'whichiscomp'act'in construction and assembly; and 'one which-may be associated with machines of various types and descriptions wherein coin chutes are employed, to start into operation the mechanism of we such machines.

other objects willappear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the 7 novel' combination and arrangement of parts to be -herein'afte'r described and :claimed.

II'lle invention" wi1l=be abest understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showingthe preferred fOIm'aOf .con'structiom and' inwhich:

Figri-is a perspective 'view of' the-coin chute embodied in this invention;

Fig.:2- is a perspective :view of the-coin chute illustrated-in Fig. 1 .as viewed-from-the back or I rearsthereof;

.Fig. 3- isa perspective view of :the coin chute illustratedin Fig. 2, showing the operatingmemberand slide embodied in=the invention coupled togetherby means of a coin and with'the-operating member in extended position;

Fig. 4 is-a perspective bottom plan View of the guide arm-embodied in the invention;

Fig. 5is a perspective viewof the-coin chute as 'illustrate'd in "Fig. 2 with the rear wail and associated parts thereof removed;

'V'Fig. 6 isa fragmentary perspective view through theslide and guideway therefor; and

Fig. "7 is a longitudinal sectional detail view of the operating member embodied in the invention.

The drawings illustratea preferred form of construotion'by which the several objects of'this invention are accomplished. In this connection mylimproved coin chute includes an enclosures) comprising a box-like structure I I havinga front wall ll-Vanda removable-.rearawall'l3. The rear will 13 "Li s removably sconnected to' the *bdx-like structure through the --medium of screws threaded into openings '15 of lugs or=' bos'ses 16 formed on theinterior of the structure I. v

Extending laterally from the front-wall i2 is a'guideway i I! providing upwardly disposed parallel grooves I8 which receive the longitudinal edge :portions l9 of'a'pluriger 20, This plunger His-provided with a-lip 2| which is grasped between tne th'umlo and index fingerof -the operator to facilitate i moving the' plunger into an inner or extended position.

Thisplunger ZU-projects through an 'opening 22 formed in a plate 23which provides, together with the rear wall l'3,-a coin pass'ageli. Communicating with this'passage 24 is an' entrance opening -725. The passage 24 communicates with the lowerinterior portio'niiof thebox-like structure ii of the coin chute,-and communicating with this lower portion 26 isa coin exit opening ii'hthe lower portion of which is defined by'a coin trough 28' and through which-spurious or rejected coins are extracted from the 1 coin chute.

At a predetermined point upon the plate 23, there is located an anvilpin 29. Acceptable coins are inserted throug'h the opening 25 and dropped into the passage 24 into en' gagement' with the anvil pin 29irom whence they reboundto'the dotted line position- 30 (Fi'g35) -where-the coinis received between I spaced pins '3! carried bythe plate 23. These pins 3lsupport the coin 'overa vertical elongated slot 32 through which slot 32 passes dependinglug 33 carried-by the inner end portion- 0f theiplunger.

4 Secured to thisdependinglug 33',-as at 34,is one end-portion of a spring- 35, t he opposite end portion of whichis connecte'd asat 36to a plug 31 mounted in the 'outer end portion -of a'tubular enclosure38 provided-for the spring 3-5 bythe guideway JL the said spring 35 functioning to return the plunger io -toits normal position-shown iniFigs.-1:and2. I a v --The rear :wall I 3 has-secured thereto, asat 40, a coin trough into which the=coins are-adapted to "drop Lin-a manner hereinaftermore fully e'xplain'ed.

Adjacent the'forward end portionof this coin trough 4| is .'.-provided aslot '42 [through which projects the head :43 of a toggle structure '44 comprising links 45 and lfi 'each pivotally connected as 2 at 4'! 1 to a mountingbracket 48- in turn connected to :the unde'rside of the coin chute as at '49. The toggle links 45 and 46 are yiel'dably held in the pivoted position shown in "Fig. 4, by means opa -spring 45- ,:omenu 46' of which bears which is placed into operation by engagement of I the slide 53 therewith. Such mechanism has not been shown described in this application because it constitutes no part of the present in-,

vention. This slide 53 ceive the opposite side walls 55 of the coin trough 4|, thereby to effect slidably connection between the coin trough and the mechanism-operating slide, 4| and 53, respectively. Th forward end portion of the slide. 53 is provided with a bail 56 1 whiohextends with its bight, portion beneath the coin trough 4|. The opposite end portion of the slide 53 comprises depending lugs r51 perforated .as at 58 to permit connection thereto ofthe end pore tions 59 of springs 63. Correspondingend portions 6| of these springsBD are connected as at 62 to lugs 63 provided by the back wall |3. The are rangement is, such that these springs function'to return the slide 53 irom ;mechanism-operated position (which is the position shown in Fig, 3), to its original or initial position as shown in Fig.2.

The top wall 64 of the slide 53isprovidedwith an elongated slot 65 into which operates the lug 33 when no coin has been received between the upstanding fingersafifi, and between these fingers 66 and the, lug 33 is adapted to be disposedthe extended or inner position, the lug 33 will bear the coin against the finger 66 and transmit the movement of the plunger 251 to the slide. 53 to the latters extended or mechanism-operated posi-, tion, in which position the notches 52 will be dis-l posed to receive the'latch fingers When this takes place, the plunger maybe moved longie tudinallyof the guide I] to its outer or initial position, The initial movement of this plunger 2|! to such position frees'the coin toallow it to drop into th'e'coin trough 4 and as the lug 33 moves to its initialposition, such as shown in Fig. 2, it will engage the head- 43 of the toggle structure 44,efiecting pivotal movement of the toggle links 45 and 46 in a direction to disengage the fingers or latch arms 5| from position in the notches 52 whereupon this slide 53 under action of springs '56 will move to its forward or initial position such as shown in Fig. 2. V V V 7 A shown in my copending application, Seria No..568,582, 'a full strolge device'may be associated with th coinslide, the spring of which device is indicated at 61. This full stroke device has not been described in detail because thesame} does not constitute a part of the present invenprior art maybe used as a part hereinbefore described. 1 r

The coin chute may beattached to the device or machine with which it is used, in any suitable manner; The 'means for attaching such coin chute to the ma ineror ,device does not consti-v tute any part of the present invention; -This;

7 comprises sidewalls 54 each substantially channel-shaped incross section to re-j This top wall 64 at one end providescoin, so thatrwhen the plunger 25 is moved to an 7 tion. ,Any full stroke device well known inthe 7 of the coin chute r however, may be. done by providing attaching lugs such as indicated at 68. V

To complete th invention, there may be provided to the rear of the partition 23 a suitable permanent magnet 69, the purpose of which is to slow down spurious magnetically attracted coins sothat when such coins engage the anvil pin 29 there will not be suiiicient rebound therefrom to dispose the coins between the pins 3|, but on the'contrary they will drop into the bottom region of the coin chute as indicated at 26 where they may be removed through the opening 21.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a coin chute which comprises a minimum number of parts and which parts are assembled compactly so. as to occupy a minimum space.

1 While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my inopenings communicating with the passage, a guideway extendinglaterally from'the front; wall of the enclosure and communicating with'the passage, a plunger mounted in the guideway for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and through the passage, a guide armgextending lat-. erally from the rear wall of the enclosure, a slide carried by the arm in substantial alignment with respect to'the plunger with one end portion adjacent one end portion of the plunger and movable inone direction by the plunger when a coin from the passage is disposed between said adjacent ends, means in said passage adapted to receive and support said coin between said ad jacent end portions whereby to couple said coin and slide for-simultaneous movement in said'one direction withrespectito the;arm, latch means for releasably latching said slide to said guide arm at the terminal of 'movement of the slide in said one direction while said plunger is freed to move in a direction opposite to said one direction to free the coin from between said adjacentend portions, said latch means including atoggle structure having one end portion' adapted for latched engagement with a wall of the slide and an opposite end portion disposed in the path of movement ofrthe plunger whereby upon engagement with said plunger said one'end portion of said toggle structure is adapted to be pivoted from latched engagement with said wall to permit-said slide to move in a direction direction. i I

2. A coin chute comprising an enclosurehav ing a coin passage-therein and entrance and exit openings communicating with the passage, 2.

guideway extending laterally from the front wall of. the enclosure and communicating with the passage, a plunger mounted in the guidew ayfor longitudinal movement with respect thereto and 7 through the passage, a, guide arm'extendinglat V erally from the rear'wall of the enclosureand providing a coin trough, said plunger having a depending end portion movable through said trough, a shde carried'b'y'the arm insubstantial opposite to said'one' alignment with respect to the plunger and movable in one direction by the plunger when a coin from the passage is disposed between said adjacent ends, means in said passage adapted to receive and support said coin between said adjacent end portions whereby to couple said coin and slide for simultaneous movement in said one direction with respect to the arm, latch means for releasably latching said slide to said guide arm at the terminal of movement of the slide in said one direction while said plunger is freed to move in a direction opposite to said one direction to free the coin from between said adjacent end portions for deposit in said trough and to be engaged by said depending end portion of said plunger, said latch means including a toggle structure having one end portion adapted for latched engagement with a wall of the slide and an opposite end portion disposed in the path of movement of the plunger whereby upon engagement with said plunger said one end portion of said toggle structure is adapted to be pivoted from latched engagement with said wall to permit said slide to move in a direction opposite to said one direction.

3. A coin chute comprising an enclosure having a coin passage therein and entrance and exit openings communicating with the passage, a guideway extending laterally from the front wall of the enclosure and communicating with the passage, a plunger mounted in the guideway for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and through the passage, a guide arm extending laterally from the rear wall of the enclosure, a slide carried by the arm in substantial alignment with respect to the plunger with one end portion adjacent one end portion of the plunger and movable in one direction by the plunger when a coin from the passage is disposed between said adjacent ends, means in said passage adapted to receive and support said coin between said adjacent end portions whereby to couple said coin and slide for simultaneous movement in said one direction with respect to the arm, latch means for releasably latching said slide in said one direction while said plunger is freed to move in a direction opposite to said one direction to free the coin from between said adjacent end portions, said latch means including a toggle structure having toggle links pivotally connected together and to the guide arm, one of said links having at one end thereof latch arms adaptedto engage with a wall or the slide, the other of said links having a head at. one end portion thereof projecting into said guideway and adapted to be engaged by said plunger, whereby upon such enagement said toggle structure will be pivoted to disengage the latch arms from engagement with said wall of said slide to permit said slide to move in a direction opposite to said one direction, and means for moving said slide in said opposite direction.

4. A coin chute comprising an enclosure hav ing a coin passage therein and entrance and exit openings communicating with the passage, ,a guideway extending laterally from the front wall of the enclosure and communicating with the passage, a plunger mounted in the guideway for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and through the passage, a guide arm extending laterally from the rear Wall of the enclosure, and providing a coin trough, said plunger having a depending end portion movable through said trough, a slide carried by the arm in substantial alignment with respect to the plunger and movable in one direction by the plunger when a coin from the passage is disposed between said adjacent ends, means in said passage adapted to receive and support said coin between said adjacent end portions whereby to couple said coin and slide for simultaneous movement in said one direction with respect to the arm, latch means for releasably latching said slide to said guide arm at the terminal of movementof the slide in said one direction while said plunger is freed to move in a direction opposite to said one direction to free the coin from between said adjacent end portions for deposit in said trough and to be engaged by said depending end portion of said plunger, said latch means including a toggle structure having toggle links pivotally connected together and to the guide arm, one of said links having at one end thereof latch arms adapted to engage with a wall of the slide, the other of said links having a head at one end portion thereof projecting into said coin trough and adapted to be engaged by the depending end portion of said plunger, whereby upon such engagement said toggle structure will be pivoted to disengage the latch arms from engagement with said wall of said slide to permit said slide to move in a direction opposite to said one direction, and means for moving said slide in said opposite direction.

WALTER A. TRATSCH. 

